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18th question.

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Hi all, any comments welcome on this one.
Is it still acceptable to have a socket outlet for a specific use not rcd protected under the 18th?
I fitted a single 13a socket outlet recently in a loft space for one of my regular customers, it is to supply a security camera system and the suppliers asked for a socket to be provided. It is supplied from the first floor lighting circuit which doesn't have rcd protection. (16th. ed. board) There is not the slightest chance of the socket being used to supply anything else and I would like to issue a mwc stating that the socket is only to be used for this specific purpose. If it's a major issue I could get back to the customer and arrange to fit an rcbo but I don't really think that is necessary? Thinking now about going back to change socket for an rcd protected one?
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    I suggest to the letter of the regs it is not compliant in a domestic setting, but in terms of being dangerous or illegal certainly not so no issues,

    It is not really going to be used for portable equipment, and the class I / class II thing is a 'red herring', So long as the lights have a CPC, so the Zs can blow either the fuse in the plug, or more likely, knock off all  the lights, there is ADS, and  it poses no more risk than any building wired a few years ago, of which there are a great many in daily use that are far more risky than this.  Actually in older buildings a shock from a crumbling plastic lamp holder when bulb changing or or damage to a light switch by enthusiastic kids with a cricket bat or adults making a careless furniture removal are similarly small but greater risks that may be improved by RCD. These are acceptable risks that do not require addressing until the lighting wiring  or the CU are all being re-done, so  I'd not be kept awake by it, I'd suggest neither should you. 

    Biggest risk may be an EICR fail at some future point, and the fix for that is an RCD socket or an RCBO at the CU.

    For completeness, the MWC needs to be clear that the socket is not for anything more than just the CCTV, and the rest of the existing cct is to the 16th edn,

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    I suggest to the letter of the regs it is not compliant in a domestic setting, but in terms of being dangerous or illegal certainly not so no issues,

    It is not really going to be used for portable equipment, and the class I / class II thing is a 'red herring', So long as the lights have a CPC, so the Zs can blow either the fuse in the plug, or more likely, knock off all  the lights, there is ADS, and  it poses no more risk than any building wired a few years ago, of which there are a great many in daily use that are far more risky than this.  Actually in older buildings a shock from a crumbling plastic lamp holder when bulb changing or or damage to a light switch by enthusiastic kids with a cricket bat or adults making a careless furniture removal are similarly small but greater risks that may be improved by RCD. These are acceptable risks that do not require addressing until the lighting wiring  or the CU are all being re-done, so  I'd not be kept awake by it, I'd suggest neither should you. 

    Biggest risk may be an EICR fail at some future point, and the fix for that is an RCD socket or an RCBO at the CU.

    For completeness, the MWC needs to be clear that the socket is not for anything more than just the CCTV, and the rest of the existing cct is to the 16th edn,

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